Fluid product dispenser

ABSTRACT

A fluid product dispenser comprises a container ( 1 ) forming an opening ( 10 ), a dispensing device ( 2 ) fitted in the opening ( 10 ), an actuation device ( 3 ) to actuate the dispensing device. It also comprises a substance detectable by irradiation or in the presence of a suitable reagent, said substance being applied, deposited or incorporated on or in at least one constituent part of the dispenser.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) ofpending U.S. provisional patent application Serial No. 60/342,361, filedDec. 27, 2001, and priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(a)-(d) of French patentapplication No. FR-01.14200, filed Oct. 31, 2001.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates to a fluid product dispensercomprising a container forming an opening, a dispensing device fitted inthe opening and an actuation device to actuate the dispensing device.More specifically, the present invention relates to authenticationcapability and traceability of the fluid product dispenser. Indeed, itis important to be able to identify without any possible doubt theorigin of a dispenser in order to be able to distinguish quickly andeasily between an authentic model and an imitation or counterfeit.

[0003] It has already been known for a long time how to use distinctivemarks or signs affixed or incorporated in the dispenser so as to be ableto identify the origin of the product visually. However, it is very easyfor a counterfeiter to imitate this distinctive mark or sign and affixit on counterfeit dispensers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The aim of the present invention is to remedy this drawbackmentioned above of the prior art by defining a new practicallyunfalsfiable identification means for a fluid product dispenser.

[0005] To achieve this aim, the present invention proposes that thedispenser also comprises a substance detectable by irradiation or in thepresence of a suitable reagent, said substance being applied, depositedor incorporated on or in at least one constituent part of the dispenser.The irradiation may be electromagnetical, thermal, etc. Advantageously,the detectable substance is invisible in the ambient atmosphere invisible light. In this way, the dispenser according to the inventiondoes not visibly show any identifying sign or mark that a counterfeitercould notice directly and subsequently reproduce to produce counterfeitdispensers. Under normal conditions of use, i.e. in air at atmosphericpressure and in visible light, the dispenser cannot be identified whichgives potential counterfeiters the impression that the dispenser can becopied easily, which is not at all the case due to the invisiblesubstance that it comprises or incorporates but which is only detectableunder specific conditions only known to the genuine dispensermanufacturer.

[0006] According to an example of an embodiment, the detectablesubstance is an invisible ink capable of being detected when subjectedto a given electromagnetic wave. An example of such an ink is known as“UV ink”, which is only detected when a UV wave emission is applied tothe ink. Naturally, there are other substances of this type known in theprior art.

[0007] According to another example, the detectable substance may bedetected when subjected to a heat source.

[0008] According to an advantageous embodiment, the dispenser comprisesat least one metal constituent part treated by anodic oxidation oranodisation to dye it with a dye, said detectable substance being addedto the dye. Indeed, the anodic oxidation or anodisation technique is afrequently used technique in the manufacture of fluid product dispensersto dye certain metal constituent parts. Advantageously, said anodisedpart is a metal attachment cap used to secure the dispensing device inthe container opening. In an alternative embodiment or additionally,said anodised part is a metal pushing device, plastic attachment ring orcontainer coating. More generally, the detectable substance may be addedto the dye intended for any part, accessory or component of the fluidproduct dispenser.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] The invention will now be described in more detail with referenceto the single FIGURE which gives an embodiment of the invention as anon-restrictive example. The single FIGURE is a vertical transversesection through a fluid product dispenser according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] The fluid product dispenser represented in the single FIGURE is avery conventional dispenser comprising a container 1 equipped with aneck 11 forming an opening 10. Optionally, the body of the container maybe equipped with a metal coating 13. The dispenser also comprises adispensing device 2 which may be a pump or a valve comprising a body 21,an actuating rod 22 and a pushing device 3 fitted on the actuating rod22. In the case of a pump, the body 21 may be equipped with a plungertube 24 which extends in the container 1 to its base. The pushing device3 may for example be formed from a plastic body 31 coated on the outsidewith a metal cover 32.

[0011] The dispensing device 2 may be directly attached inside the neck11, but preferentially, the dispensing device 21 is attached in theopening 10 of the neck 11 by means of an attachment device 4 whichcomprises reception means 41 intended to receive a radial ring 23 formedby the body 21 of the dispensing device 2 and which also comprisesattachment means 42 on the neck 11 of the container. If required, a neckseal 5 may be inserted between the neck and the attachment device.

[0012] In the single FIGURE, this attachment device comes in the form ofa metal attachment cap which holds the dispensing device 2 in place bycrimping and which is also attached to the neck 11 by crimping. As analternative, the metal attachment cap may be replaced by a plasticattachment ring with a metal coating. The plastic attachment ring alsocomprises reception means 41 and attachment means 42 on the neck 11 ofthe container.

[0013] This is a very conventional design for a fluid product dispenserin the field of perfumes, cosmetics or pharmaceuticals. To actuate thedispenser, it is simply necessary to press on the pushing device 3 so asto insert the actuating rod 22 in the body 21 of the dispensing device2. In response to this pressure, fluid product is dispensed at theoutlet 33, in this case produced in the pushing device 3.

[0014] According to the invention, a substance detectable by irradiationor in the presence of a suitable reagent is applied, deposited orincorporated on or in at least one of the above-mentioned constituentparts of the dispenser. Preferentially, the detectable substance isapplied onto a constituent part visible from the outside of thedispenser, i.e. not an internal part such as the body 21 or the plungertube 24 if the container is not transparent. The detectable substancemay for example by applied onto the reservoir, attachment cap orattachment ring, actuating rod 22 or the pushing device 3. Thedetectable substance may for example come in the form of an invisibleink capable of being detected when subjected to a given electromagneticwave, for example ultraviolet. The detectable substance may also bedetected in the presence of a suitable reagent, which may be a liquid, agas or a solid. For example, it is possible to envisage that thedetectable substance will react when placed in a confinement governed byan atmosphere filled with a suitable reagent gas. Another possible wayto make the detectable substance react is to spray it or coat it with asuitable liquid reagent.

[0015] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, thedetectable substance may be added to a dye used to dye certain metalconstituent parts of the dispenser treated by anodic oxidation oranodisation. This dyeing technique is well known and widely used in themanufacture of fluid product dispensers. This technique essentiallycomprises three steps: a first step consists of corroding the surface ofthe metal constituent part, frequently made of aluminium, chemically orelectro-chemically, by immersing it in a bath. This induces the creationof pores, i.e. cavities, on the surface of the metal. A second stepconsists of immersing the corroded metal parts into a bath of dye whichpartially fills the pores. The present invention is then used with theaddition of the detectable substance to the dye. The dye with itsaddition of detectable substance fills the pores such that thedetectable substance penetrates inside the pores with the dye. The thirdso-called sealing step consists of immersing the dyed part into a bathwhich acts chemically or electro-chemically to partially seal the poresand thus trap the dye mixed with the detectable substance.

[0016] In this way, it is possible to treat the metal attachment cap 4,the coating 32 of the pushing device 3, the coating 13 of the container1 or the container 1 itself when produced from metal, the metal coatingof the plastic attachment ring when such a ring is used to attach thedispensing device in the neck 11. More generally, the addition of adetectable substance in the anodisation technique may be used for anypart, accessory, component or device incorporated, linked, attached oraffixed on the dispenser.

[0017] The detectable substance may also be detected in presence ofheat.

[0018] By means of the invention, the dispenser is identified in anunfalsiable manner given that it comprises no visible signs to recognisethe identifier.

What is claims is:
 1. Fluid product dispenser comprising the followingconstituent parts: a container (1) forming an opening (10), a dispensingdevice (2) fitted in the opening (10), an actuation device (3) toactuate the dispensing device, characterised in that it also comprises asubstance detectable by irradiation or in the presence of a suitablereagent, said substance being applied, deposited or incorporated on orin at least one constituent part of the dispenser.
 2. Dispenseraccording to claim 1, wherein the detectable substance is invisible inthe ambient atmosphere in visible light.
 3. Dispenser according to claim2, wherein the detectable substance is an invisible ink capable of beingdetected when subjected to a given electromagnetic wave.
 4. Dispenseraccording to claim 1, wherein the detectable substance is detected whensubjected to a heat source.
 5. Dispenser according to claim 1,comprising at least one metal constituent part (4, 32, 13) treated byanodic oxidation or anodisation to dye it with a dye, said detectablesubstance being added to the dye.
 6. Dispenser according to claim 5,wherein said anodised part is a metal attachment cap (4) used to attachthe dispensing device (2) in the opening (10) of the container (1). 7.Dispenser according to claim 5, wherein said anodised part is a metalcoating of a pushing device (32), plastic attachment ring or container(13).